Steven Galloway: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: Campton HillsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Campton Hills Village Board Age: 54Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Tax PreparerEducation: BS Finance Northern Illinois MBA Northern IllinoisCivic involvement: Promotion Committee Main Street Flora 1996-1998 Precinct Committeeman 1996 - 2005 Clay County Illinois Precinct Committeeman 2014- present Campton TownshipElected offices held: Campton 8 precinct committeemanQuestions Answers What makes you the best candidate for the job?My focus will be on maintaining the founding purpose of this Village and only adding services that our citizens deem necessary. I have experience starting several businesses and have an understanding of the issues that small business owners deal with. Small business is the type economic development that best fits in with our semi-rural lifestyle.What is your opinion of your community's present level of local sales and property taxes? Is the tax just right, too low or too high? Explain.Sales taxes are appropriate for the current business climate. The property taxes are too high considering the decline in property values most of us have experienced. If we see our property values return to previous levels our property taxes will drive people out of the community.Rate the efficiency of your town's police and fire coverage. Are the departments well prepared for the next decade? What, if anything, should be changed? Do you have specific public safety concerns?I am satisfied with the level of service that is provided by our Police and my Fire Protection District. We must however be concerned about the future liabilities that come with pension obligations.Where, if anywhere, could the current budget be trimmed, and conversely, are there areas the budget does not give enough money to?The Village is incurring extra costs for meetings because of the current tensions within the board. The addition of one attorney and a court reporter at each meeting and cancelled meetings is a waste of our tax dollars. If elected I will work to protect the budget from unnecessary and wasteful expenditures.What's one good idea you have to better the community that no one is talking about yet?With potential changes at the state level that could impact Village finances, we need to keep our house in order. I will focus on setting the groundwork for economic development that fits our semi-rural community. We need more business here in town in order to keep our tax dollars at home.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Our state is in very poor financial condition and some services and funding provided by the state cannot be counted on in future years. That's why it is so important for us as a community to understand that there are unintended consequences with most decisions we make. Only by keeping Campton Hills as a no new property tax community can we keep the ability to pick up the slack if state funding and services are cut.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Elon Musk- Because he is a visionary that doesn't believe that private companies can't do big things.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Candidate did not respond.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Math - It never goes out of style. Good math skills help identify what is really in a budget and how unrealistic assumptions can be.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Integrity is something of great value that can't be stolen but is often given away for nothing.